Photo courtesy of TriMet.Rendering of the yet-to-be-built Milwaukie light rail bridge. Mary Nolan says she secured a key piece of funding for the project.

It’s been nearly 40 years since Portlanders have seen a new bridge
constructed over the Willamette River. That will change soon with the
addition of the Milwaukie light rail bridge, scheduled to be up and
running by fall 2015.

Once the deck starts going up and the cables are attached, it’ll be one
of the most visible public works projects for the city in some time.
It’s little wonder, then, that Portland City Council candidate Mary
Nolan is touting on her website her role in making it happen.

"We’re building the first new bridge across the Willamette in more than
40 years, this one dedicated to transit, pedestrian and bike traffic,"
she writes on her website. "As Co-Chair of the Joint Ways & Means
Committee, I secured the key piece of funding for this important
project."

We see a lot of claims like these -- where folks who sat on a committee
claim some crucial role. Sometimes it’s real, sometimes it’s a stretch.